Basketball Drills: The Cross-Walk Drill

Improve your ball handling in live game situations with this fast-paced, endurance building drill.

Basketball is a game of speed and angles. If you can’t make quick movements and decisions with the basketball or beat the defense down the court when you have an advantage, you could be an offensive liability. To help work on your offensive mobility and ball handling at top speed, basketball camp director and college coach Donnie Arey breaks down how to perform the Cross-Walk Drill.

BEGINNER

To kick things off, grab two cones, a basketball and a teammate. Set the cones about three yards apart from each other before lining up to start the drill. Line up directly behind one of the cones and dribble straight toward the next. Move as quickly as you can, but make sure that you don’t lose control of the ball.

Once you get to the next cone, circle around and head back toward the starting point. Have your friend time you so you can see how many laps you can complete in 15 seconds. Remember to stay close to the cones as you make your way around them.

Once you’ve completed this drill, try dribbling the ball in the opposite hand. If you’re able to handle the ball in both hands, you can be that much more of a threat on the court.

INTERMEDIATE

The intermediate level of this drill will have you dribbling between the cones instead of around them. Once you reach each cone, perform a crossover as quickly as possible. Mix it up with front, behind-the-back and between-the-legs crossovers to add variety to the drill. This progression will help you change directions fluidly, which will help you when navigating down in the paint.

ADVANCED

If you think you’re ready for the advanced portion of the Cross-Walk Drill, grab a friend and have them work with you. You’ll each start at opposite cones facing each other. When it’s time to begin, dribble between each cone, all the while making sure you don’t run into your teammate. This will help you with your on-court vision. The best part of the advanced Cross-Walk Drill is that you get to work directly with a friend, not just having him time toy, so you can push each other to get better.

The Cross-Walk Drill can help you build another layer of competition to your practice. See how many repetitions your teammates can make, shooting for the top results. Competition keep the drill fun and effective as you grow your skills on the court.